Patrick "Packey" McFarland -- Was He The Best Boxer Never To Become A World Champion?

In one of his last interviews in 1980, Hollywood legend James Cagney was asked about boxing and getting into fights as a youngster while growing up on the Eastside of New York. He replied that he grew up like every other kid and got into scrapes just like all kids did at the time. He said that he thought about becoming a boxer just like a lot of kids did, but he was talked out of it by his mother.

James Cagney went on to talk about his boyhood idol, a boxer by the name of Patrick "Packey" McFarland. He said, "Have you heard of Packey McFarland? Of course not, you haven't because that was so long ago. He was my idol. He was a hell of a boxer. He was a real fighter because he did it all and never even got a black eye. Which was great of course because of the hero worship I felt for him."

Since James Cagney was born in 1899, and brought up in New York City during the early 1900s, it makes total sense that he would have heard of the turn-of-the-century Irish boxer Packey McFarland. By the early 20th century, a lot of young men, especially those in the cities of the times, started to see boxing as a way out. Boxing, as I guess Basketball is today to youngsters in the inner cities, was looked at as a path to making big money and gaining a sort of greater social acceptance.

Let's remember that the Potato Famine in Ireland brought thousands of Irish to the United States. And, since it was at that time that professional boxing really took off in the United States, by the early 1900s the Irish had become a major force in professional boxing. So as for the hero worship of a boxer, at the time boxing was growing in popularity. And since many saw it as profitable, I see admiring another Irish American who is making something of himself as normal as can be. 

It's also as American as apple pie. Combined with its hero-making potential, boxing is custom-made to symbolize American resolve and resilience. It's all about fighting the good fight, giving all you have, and if you're knocked down, get up and keep fighting. Yes, that's as American as can be. Even if we've been knocked down a time or two, we keep getting back up.

As for Patrick "Packey" McFarland, he was born on November 1st, 1888, in Chicago, Illinois. He made his debut as a professional boxer on January 1st, 1904. He was just 15 years old and his first opponent was Pete West who he knocked out in the second round. As amazing as that might sound today, he had 12 fights that same year. 

As for his career in boxing? Between 1904 and 1915, Packey McFarland fought in 113 fights. Because 38 of those fights are listed as "NWS," his official boxing record is 75 fights. His official record has him down for 75 fights, with 0 wins, no losses, and 5 draws. Of his wins, he had 50 wins by knockouts, 19 by decision, and 1 by disqualification. As for having no official losses in those 113 fights, his ninth fight was his one-and-only loss -- but it was designated "NWS." That loss came against boxer Dusty Miller on July 13, 1904, when he lost the bout as an "NWS" or Newspaper Writers decision.

What's an "NWS," or "Newspaper Writers Decision," or "Newspaper Decision," in boxing, you ask? Well, Newspaper Writers' decisions, "NWS," were a type of decision in professional boxing that is thankfully no longer used. The result of who won or lost or if it ended in a draw, the decision of a fight, was made by a consensus of the Sportswriters who attended the bout. If that took place then that decision was designated "NWS."

It was something that was done when a fight ended with a "no decision" in some regions of the country back in the day. If a "no decision" was reached by the judges or referee, then it was up to the Sportswriters who were covering the fight to say who won or lost -- or if it were a draw. Believe it or not, as shady and open to payoffs as that was, newspapermen would be asked to give their opinion and declare who won, lost, or if it was a draw. 

Because it was their decision, it was printed in their publication the next day as an "NWS" decision. That told fans that they made the call and not a judge or referee. Because of the fact that such decisions were open to all sorts of favoritism, and crooks, an "NWS" decision by Sportswriters was not official. It was not part of the fighter's official record. 

And by the way, imagine if you would that someone asked a Sportswriter who won while knowing that he either hates one of the boxers or has put money down on a bet? That's why, thankfully, boxing eliminated the use of the practice of Sportswriters making such decisions. That's also why boxing went from using the referee and two judges to score each round, to today's system of using three judges with the ten-point system. It's much harder to cheat.

So in Packey McFarland's case, the one loss that he was given by the Newspaper Sportswriters, is listed as an "NWS," but it does not count on his official fight record. That means, his unofficial record is 113 fights, 106 wins, and 1 loss. His wins are 50 by knockout, 55 by decision, 1 by disqualification, and 6 by draw.

It should be noted that in 1908, though the fight wasn't a title fight, Packey McFarland actually beat the Lightweight World Championship Jimmy Britt in a TKO (technical knockout). Jimmy Britt and boxer Freddie Welsh had a disputed claim to the Lightweight World Championship title. While at the same time that those two were disputing who rightfully had a claim to the Lightweight World Championship title, Packey McFarland fought both and won against both.

It's true. Packey McFarland defeated Lightweight World Championship Freddie Welsh in their non-title bout in February of 1908, then defeated Lightweight World Championship Jimmy Britt in their non-title fight in April. Packey McFarland then fought Freddie Welsh to a draw in July of that same year. In 1910, Packey McFarland fought Freddie Welsh again for the British version of the Lightweight Championship title. That bout ended in another draw. Of course, with the fight ending in a draw, Freddie Welsh retained his British title.

During Packey McFarland's career as a boxer, he fought from coast to coast throughout the Midwest and in Europe a staggering number of bouts each year. Today, professional boxers who have built a name for themselves tend to limit their fights to 1 to 3 times a year. Amature fighters can box a lot more simply because they are trying to build their name and gain recognition. 

A top-ranked professional boxer fighting every month, nevertheless every few days is something unheard of today -- but apparently was commonplace for boxers in those days. It's true. It might amaze folks to know that his fights were in most cases less than a month apart. And it's a fact that at the height of his professional boxing career, his fights were only just a few days apart.

For example, he fought 2 bouts in January and in February, and 3 in March of 1905. In 1906, he fought 3 bouts in February just a few days apart. He fought 2 bouts that June and 2 in July that same year. In 1911, he fought a total of 17 fights in that year alone. It's true, in 1911 he fought 4 bouts a few days apart in January, 2 bouts in February, 2 bouts in March, 3 bouts in April, and 3 in November. The only two months that he didn't have bouts were August and September of that year.

In 1912, Packey McFarland beat what he did in 1911 by fighting 21 fights in one year. So besides having a bout in January, he had 3 bouts in February, 3 bouts in March, 2 bouts in April, 4 fights in May, 2 fights in June, a bout in August, 3 in October, 2, in November, and 2 in December of 1912. The only two months in 1912 that he wasn't in a ring somewhere were July and September.

His 111th fight was a win against Harry Trendall on December 4th, 1913. He was 25 years old. He fought and won two more times that year, but both were classified as "NWS" newspaper decisions. Those wins were his last professional fights. While he did not fight in 1914, Packey McFarland decided to retire from professional boxing in 1915.

After leaving the ring, he worked with the U.S. Army during World War I. Besides seeing boxing as a way to keep soldiers fit and develop warfighting skills, the U.S. Army used boxing as a training tool was used to build courage and good character traits. For the Army, Packey McFarland was just what they were looking for. They utilized his talents in the ring to teach boxing to soldiers. In fact, during World War I, he was assigned as the boxing instructor at Camp Zachary Taylor.

Although he never fought for a world title, Packey McFarland made a lot of money. In fact, in 1912, it was reported that he had earned $200,000 since becoming a professional boxer a mere eight years earlier. According to some sources, he made $110,000 from his bouts and $90,000 from being asked to appear in theatric shows. So for him, boxing enabled him to become a fairly wealthy man for the times. And along with his investments in the building-contracting and brewing businesses, he was able to comfortably retire from boxing.

After World War I, he managed his sizable investments, he volunteered to teach boxing to kids also to build good character traits, and he even served for a time as director of the Joliet National Bank. As for boxing, it is said that Packey McFarland tutored Barney Ross who defeated Tony Canzoneri in 1933 to win the World Lightweight and Junior Welterweight Championships.

On January 27th, 1933, he was appointed to the Illinois Athletic Commission by Governor Henry Horner. Then, on September 22, 1936, after being ill for two months, Packey McFarland died at his home in Joliet, Illinois, of a streptococcus infection that attacked his heart. He was 47 years old. He was survived by a widow, three daughters, and a son.

On June 7, 1992, Patrick "Packey" McFarland was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

During his tenure as a fighter, Packey McFarland squared off against some of the greatest boxers of all time. The list of outstanding fighters McFarland defeated includes Benny Yanger, Freddie Welsh, Jimmy Britt, Phil Brock, Leach Cross, Cyclone Johnny Thompson, Jack Goodman, Jack Britton, Tommy Kilbane, Young Ahearn, Tommy Devlin, and Mike Gibbons. That's why today, Patrick "Packey" McFarland is ranked as one of greatest fighters of all time -- and possibly, the best boxer never to have become a World Champion. 

I certainly hope you enjoyed this story of a great American boxer.

Tom Correa

Esther Hobart Morris -- Her Statue Deserves A Place Of Prominence And Respect In Wyoming

Esther Hobart Morris

I'm so frustrated with the way America's Heroes are being treated these days. Great men and women who sacrificed so much, worked so hard, pushed, toiled, failed, came short again and again, didn't stop, didn't give up, kept going, and in fact, did great things. And how do we repay them for their efforts? We name a bridge or a highway after them. We name a building in their honor. We place a plague on some wall in a government building explaining why that person should be remembered. In some cases, we honor them by erecting a statue of their likeness. 

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Esther Hobart Morris' full name was Esther Hobart McQuigg Slack Morris, née Esther Hobart McQuigg. We know her as Esther Hobart Morris, the First Woman to be a Justice of the Peace in United States history. 

According to her biography, she was born Esther McQuigg near Spencer, New York, in Tioga County, on August 8, 1814. By the time she was 11 years old, her parents died and she was orphaned. In reality, she and her nine siblings were all orphaned. All were "farmed out" to various relatives.

Esther went on to apprentice as a seamstress and eventually started her own millinery business. When she was 27 years old, she married Artemus Slack. That was in 1841 and she was widowed only three years later. 

Living in Peru, Illinois with her infant son, she decided to settle the property held there by her late husband's estate. Unable by law at the time to own or inherit property, she ran into trouble settling the estate. In those days, even though they were married, women didn't usually have rights to their husband's property. In most cases after a husband died, their property when to his nearest male relative. Women weren't recognized as "people" and not "property" yet. 

You probably think I'm exaggerating. Well, I'm not. Most people today have no idea how hard it has been for women in America. Even before America won its independence from England, women were treated less than second-class citizens. After the Revolutionary War, many of the customs that were in place didn't change. 

The rights that American women enjoy today were not even imaginable in the 1800s. From suffrage and having the basic right to vote as citizens to wage equality and legal protections afforded women today,  many American women today take for granted the rights that were fought for on many fronts. And yes, that includes the battle for women’s property rights.

In 1787, Massachusetts was the first state to allow some married women to conduct business on their own. This was so wives of merchants or traders could continue running the family shop while their sea-faring husbands were at sea. 

But for most of the nation, it wasn't until the 1840s that women were legally granted the right to own property. And really, that was only in a few states. In those days, their husbands or another male relative had complete control over any property that was left to a wife upon their husband's death. This limited the financial independence of women for generations.

With the passage of the Married Women’s Property Act in 1848 and the Act Concerning the Rights and Liabilities of Husband and Wife in 1860 in the New York state legislature, things started changing for the better because every married woman in New York was seen as being entitled to her husband's property if her husband died without leaving a will. So, besides having the right to independently conduct business, women could hold sole ownership of any inherited property.

As for Esther, she was living independently, running her own successful millinery business when she met and married a local merchant, John Morris. Besides becoming active in seeking women's rights, she is said to have been already active in supporting the abolition of slavery.

By 1869, the whole Morris family had moved and settled in South Pass City in the Wyoming Territory. As originally just a stage and telegraph station on the Oregon Trail in the 1850s, South Pass City boomed when gold was found nearby in 1866. 

Her husband opened a saloon and bought interests in several of the local mines in 1868. Esther and the children followed him there in 1869. It is said that they boarded "the newly-completed transcontinental railroad and then a stagecoach to reach South Pass City. The family lived in a 24-foot by 26-foot, sod-roofed log cabin." 

It was while in Wyoming that Esther became involved in the fight to get women the right to vote, as an American suffragist she played a major role in gaining voting rights for women in Wyoming. And please, don't think that wasn't a big deal. It was a milestone for the national women’s suffrage movement.

 
As with most boomtowns that go bust, the gold rush there may have been pretty good in 1868 and 1869 when the town boasted a population of over 2,000, but soon things started to change when the mines didn’t produce what folks had hoped for. 

Esther tirelessly fought for granting women the right to vote in Wyoming Territory. As we know, her fight did not go for naught since the Wyoming Territory's enfranchisement of women did come about in 1869, along with laws giving married women control of their own property, and providing equal pay for female teachers.

Esther Hobart Morris was the first woman ever to serve as Justice of the Peace in the entire history of the United States. She was appointed Justice of the Peace in South Pass City, Wyoming after the previous justice resigned in protest after Wyoming Territory passed a woman suffrage amendment in December 1869 when Wyoming Territory had granted women the right to vote.

District Court Judge John W. Kingman appointed her Justice of the Peace and the Sweetwater County Board of Commissioners in a vote of two to one approved her application on February 14, 1870. Her first act was to arrest her predecessor, who refused to hand over his court docket. Eventually, she dismissed her own case, ruling that she, as an interested party, could not arrest the former justice, and recused herself.

Esther Morris's appointment to Justice of the Peace was big news across the nation. It was so big that the county clerk sent a telegraph along the wires: “Wyoming, the youngest and one of the richest Territories in the United States, gave equal rights to women in action as well as words.”

Her biography says it was "a job for which, despite the rough character of the gold-mining town, her robust frame and blunt fearlessness well suited her. She became the very first woman ever to hold such a position, and in her eight and a half months in the post, she tried more than 70 cases expeditiously and without reversal."

So why was she only a Justice of the Peace for eight and half months? Well, when boomtowns go bust, their population can drop like a rock. It happened all through the Old West. Take the town of Tombstone, Arizona, for example. After its boom in 1879, it is said to have had a population as large as 10,000 people. Then just a few years later by 1883, the population of Tombstone was less than 1000 people. 

The same happened to South Pass City when the population there had fallen to under 500 people by 1870. And by 1875, there were less than 100 people left there. As for Esther and her husband, to add to the problems of his saloon business going under, a fire destroyed their business in 1871. 

During this time, it's said her husband John's reputation in town as being a lazy drunk and brawler had taken a toll on her. In 1872, Esther left her husband and South Pass City and moved to Laramie, Wyoming. 

In February of 1872, she attended the American Woman Suffrage Association convention in San Francisco, In 1873, she was actually placed on the ballot to run as a state representative. In 1876, she served as the vice president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. In July of that year, she was in Philadelphia to address the national suffrage convention.

In her later years, she was honored for her role in helping to obtain the right to vote for women in Wyoming. For the entire nation, Wyoming was the first state to observe women's rights as equals to men at the ballot box. And though many back in the day tried to say that Esther Morris had a leadership role in the success of the woman’s suffrage amendment in Wyoming Territory, to her credit she never claimed credit. Instead, she gave credit to William H. Bright who was President of the Territorial Council and represented South Pass City in the territorial legislature at the time.

Esther later moved to Albany, New York, and then to Springfield, Illinois. It is said that she spent winters in Springfield and summers in Wyoming with her sons. It was in the 1880s that she returned to Wyoming moving to Cheyenne to live with her son Robert. She died at the age of 82 in Cheyenne on April 3, 1902.

She was laid to rest in the family plot in Lakeview Cemetery. For such a woman who had such a big impact on women's rights, I was sort of surprised to see that such a small headstone marks her grave. 

Esther Hobart Morris statue by artist Avard Fairbanks

 in the National Statuary Hall in the US Capitol in Washington, DC

In 1960, a statue of her by artist Avard Fairbanks was in fact placed in the National Statuary Hall in the US Capitol in Washington, DC. A replica of the statue was placed outside the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne in 1963.

The statue was moved to the basement during the $300 million Wyoming Capitol renovation project that began about five years ago. And now, even though the renovation work was completed in 2019, for some reason no one in Wyoming wants to move her statue back outside where it was for 60 years. 

So yesterday, May 5, 2023, I read that the State of Wyoming has decided to keep her statue in their Capitol's basement until someone can figure out where to put it so that it doesn't offend someone. 

Yes, this is what I'm talking about when I say that I'm frustrated with the way America's Heroes are being treated these days. I can't believe that such a thing is happening in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I can understand it if it were New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, or even Atlanta where statues are vandalized and removed. And frankly, the deeds and efforts of others mean nothing to those living in those cities today. And sadly, the reasons for erecting such memorials as statues have a tendency to elude over time. Sadly, it's mostly out of ignorance and apathy of the people living today. 

But I thought the folks in Cheyenne, Wyoming were different. I really thought they understood why her statue deserves a place of prominence and respect and not merely left in a basement. At the least, I would think they would fight to return her statue to her rightful spot outside. It seems to be a place of honor for all to see, as it has been since 1963. 

Tom Correa

Neighborhood Watch - What To Look For

In my blog post, Neighborhood Watch -- How to Organize A Neighborhood Watch Group, I talked about how to get a Neighborhood Watch started. So now, let's talk about what to look for as a member of a Neighborhood Watch group. 

First, we must remember that an important responsibility of Neighborhood Watch members is to accurately report crimes in progress and suspicious activities to their Police Department or County Sheriff’s Office. Below are a few examples of situations that need to be reported. 

When observing a suspicious person, vehicle, activity, or crime in progress, do not hesitate to call your Police Department or County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line to report suspicious activity or call 911 to report emergencies.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

• Someone going door-to-door or looking into home windows and parked cars.
• People stripping an abandoned car.
• A person having no purpose wandering in the neighborhood.
• Any unusual or suspicious noise that you can’t explain, such as breaking glass, pounding, or general noise from somewhere where it shouldn’t be.
• Vehicles moving slowly, without lights, or with no apparent destination.
• Business transactions being conducted from vehicles by strangers who don’t live there.
• People offering to selling stolen property either door-to-door or from a vehicle.
• Observing property being carried by persons on foot at an unusual hour or place, especially if the person is running.
• Someone out of the ordinary running from a car or residence.
• People stealing contents from mailboxes and/or packages from porches.
• Property being removed from closed businesses.
• Squatters entering residences that are known to be unoccupied or boarded up.
• A stranger entering a neighbor’s home, either on vacation or unoccupied.
• A child resisting the advances of an adult.
• Fire coming from a building or a place where it should not be.
• Someone screaming for help or in trouble. Especially if you can’t determine what the screams are for.

IMPORTANT NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GUIDELINES

Before and after reporting a crime or suspicious activity:

• If you can see the person committing the crime, try to keep him or her in view and monitor their movement to report their location and what they are doing.
• Keep your safety in mind and don't attempt to apprehend a suspect.
• If in your home, keep a pen and paper near the phone.
• Have your neighbors’ street addresses available.
• Properly identify the locations you are reporting.
• Stay alert and aware of activities in your neighborhood.
• Pay attention to particulars and be as specific as possible in your reporting.
• Know your neighbors, what kind of cars they own, and their activities.
• Neighborhood Watch works best when everyone is informed, concerned, aware, and cooperative.
• Deputies need to have accurate information as quickly as possible about suspicious activity or crime in progress. 
• Only alert your neighbors to the crime, after you call 911.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIAL 911

• Your 911 call goes to a computer that identifies the telephone number from which you are calling, including your name.
• Your call is automatically relayed to the emergency agency.
• The dispatcher determines your emergency needs and verifies the address of the emergency before prioritizing your call.
• Be ready with as much information as you can offer when the 911 Operator takes your report.

HOW AND WHEN TO CALL THE POLICE

The 911 System is designed to handle the following types of situations: life-threatening emergencies, medical emergencies, and/or crimes in progress.

• Please do not call 911 if there is no emergency.
• The 911 Operators are specifically instructed to handle only emergency calls.
• When you call 911, the operator will assess your situation and may instruct you to call back on the non-emergency line.

Please do not let this deter you from calling. Remember, sometimes there are only two to three 911 operators that can only handle so many calls at a time.

• Use the non-emergency number to report something that is NOT an emergency.
• When you see suspicious activity, CALL THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE OR YOU POLICE!

The operators are trained to decide whether your situation warrants a Deputy response.

• Calls are dispatched on a priority system, with emergencies dispatched first.
• Even if a deputy is unable to respond as quickly as you would like, it is still important for you to report suspicious activity.
• If a Deputy is going to respond, the dispatcher will decide when to send them to your location.

REPORTING A CRIME OR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

Remain calm and give the dispatcher your information slowly over the phone:

• Identify yourself by name, address, and telephone number.
• Identify the type of incident (burglary, assault, suspicious person, vehicle being stolen, etc.).
• Describe if the activity is a crime “in progress” or something that “has already occurred”.
• Be sure to note the time of occurrence.
• Describe location. Be as specific as possible. Try to have an address for the dispatcher when you call in your report.
• If an address is not available, have the street name, names of cross streets, intersecting streets, and/or a specific description of the house or area.
• Give as complete a description as possible of a vehicle that may have been used by the culprit(s) in the commission of the crime you are reporting, including cars, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.
• Give as complete a description as possible of the culprit(s) involved.
• Give as complete a description as possible of any associates also observed.
• Give as complete a description of any weapons that might have also been involved.
• Give the direction of travel (north, south, east, or west) which they fled, if so.

REPORTING A CRIME IN PROGRESS

Remain calm and give the dispatcher your information slowly over the phone:

• When reporting a crime in progress, ask yourself if there is potential for harm or injury, and if it is in the process of taking place at that moment? If so, then describe what is happening at that moment.
• Describe who is involved, if known, what is taking place, be as specific as possible regarding the location where it is taking place and include whether a weapon is involved.
• If it is something that has already taken place within a short period of time, describe whether it was against persons or property, if there is a possibility of quick apprehension with a Deputy response, or if you believe that there is the need for a Deputy to respond to prevent further acts of violence.
• Let 911 know if you can see the person committing the crime or still have them in view, their location, and what they are doing. 
• Finally, try to remain on the telephone and assist the dispatcher as much as possible until you are no longer needed. The more information you give the dispatcher the better.

BEING OBSERVANT / SUSPECT IDENTIFICATION

Neighborhood Watch Members need to gather and relate accurate information and descriptions when calling in a report to 911. To do this, Watch Members need to use their powers of observation to help gather as much information as possible to help them give the best report possible when calling in either suspicious activity or an actual crime in progress.

To better assist Neighborhood Watch Members, here are some of the most important identifiers that Dispatch and your law enforcement professionals may need to know to assist them in apprehending criminal suspects.

This information can give your Police and Deputies accurate descriptions of a criminal or criminal incident that you may observe. This should assist you in your efforts to produce accurate descriptions and reports when calling 911 or a non-emergency line.

LOCATION OF THE SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY OR CRIME

• Observe where you are and the exact location of the crime or suspicious activity.
• If the suspect left the scene, note the direction that he went.
• Was the suspect on foot or in a vehicle?
• If in a vehicle, were there others in the vehicle?
• Was the suspect vehicle a car, truck, van, or motorcycle?
• If it was a vehicle, did you get its license plate number? Or was the vehicle missing its license plate?
• Vehicle color, make, model, condition?
• Was it dirty or damaged, had a loud engine or muffler, did it have distinctive decals. tinted windows, etc.
• What direction was that vehicle going?

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

• Note the time as precisely as possible.
• Since the term "trans" means nothing, was the person a male or female?
• Was it a man dressed as a woman or a woman dressed as a man?
• Was the suspect carrying a weapon, tools, a club, a tire iron, containers of liquor, etc.?
• If it is a weapon, was it a handgun, rifle, shotgun, knife, club, piece of pipe, or some other weapon?
• Ask yourself if you’ve ever seen that person in the area before. Was he alone or with others?
• What was his Age (estimated)"
• What was his Height (estimated)? Use comparisons with your own height to assist you.
• What was his Weight (estimated)?
• What was his Race, Color, or National Origin?
• What was his Build? Was he fat, husky, slim, muscular, sickly thin?
• What was his Speech like? Did he speak with an accent? Did he use some sort of slang?
• Was he sweating? Out of breath? Was he running and in a hurry?
• Did he appear angry, intoxicated, or confused, was he screaming at someone or no one?
• Did you see any distinctive tattoos? What was it? How Big? Where was it? What part of the body was it located?

FACIAL CHARACTERISTICS

• What color was his hair, hairline, and style? Was he bald? Did he have a shaved head?
• Was he wearing clear glasses or dark glasses?
• Did his face have piercings, nose or eyebrows, or lips pierced?
• Did his ears have earrings, holes, or piercings?
• Was his complexion dark, pockmarked, with acne, and visible scars?
• Did he wear a beard? What color was it? How long was it?
• Did he have a mustache? What shape was it? Did he have a goatee?
• Was he clean-shaven, or unshaven, did he have large sideburns, or a beard and no mustache?
• Did he or she have facial tattoos?

CLOTHING

• Was he a man in women's clothing or a woman in men's clothing?
• Was he wearing a hat? What color, type, and style was it? Was it a ball cap?
• Did he wear it forward, backward, or to one side?
• Did his hat have ornaments, or business or sports logos?
• Was he wearing a coat or a jacket? What color and style was it?
• What color, design, and sleeve length of the shirt, blouse, or dress?
• Was it a no-collar t-shirt? Was anything on it, front or back?
• Did his shirt have a sports logo or something political or something else that made it distinctive?
• What color and style of jeans, trousers, slacks, or skirt?
• Was he wearing shoes or boots? Color, type, style, condition?
• Was he or she wearing a sweater, scarf, gloves, or necktie?
• Was he or she wearing rings, a watch, bracelets, or necklaces?
• Were his clothing odd colors, patchwork, unusual in some way?
• General appearance – neat or sloppy, clean, or dirty?
• Did they appear to be living on the street?

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO BETTER THE LIVES AROUND YOU!

By getting involved in the Neighborhood Watch group in your community, you can help your family, friends, and community. By being observant, reporting what you see, and being a good witness with written notes, you can be the "Eyes and Ears" that help your Police Department or Sheriff's Office in their battle to fight crime near your home.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS HERE FOR YOU

• If you have a Neighborhood Watch program, then your local law enforcement professionals should be available to assist you with implementing crime deterrence, including posting Neighborhood Watch signs and handing out window decals to be put in the window of homes.
• If you want to start a Neighborhood Watch group, it's a pretty sure bet that your local law enforcement professionals will assist you with starting one.
• Your local law enforcement agency can encourage participants to recognize crimes and suspicious activity, train participants on how to report suspicious activity, train participants in ways to reduce their risk of being victimized and address security and safety issues in their community.

HISTORY OF NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Neighborhood Watch was launched in 1972 by the National Sheriff’s Association as a vehicle for citizens to organize themselves and work with law enforcement. The concept of Neighborhood Watch can trace its roots back to the days of Colonial Settlements when volunteer night watchmen of Citizen Watch Groups patrolled the streets of towns and cities.

WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH IS NOT

• Neighborhood Watch works with your local Police Department and Sheriff's Office, but it is not a vigilante force working outside the normal procedures of law enforcement.
• Neighborhood Watch is not designed for participants to take personal risks to prevent crime.
• And of course, participation in a Neighborhood Watch program is not a 100% guarantee that crime will not occur in your area.

THE REASONS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH WORKS

• As an association of neighbors who contribute to the safety and security of their neighborhood by working together with your local law enforcement professionals as their “Eyes and Ears.”
• Neighborhood Watch Groups bring your local law enforcement professionals and the community together to work as a Team to fight crime.
• The major benefit of Neighborhood Watch is that it increases response to criminal activities while also instilling a greater sense of security and well-being.
• Neighborhood Watch also helps to reduce the fear of crime in your community.
• Since we look out for each other by getting involved, your vigilance will help your local law enforcement professionals fight crime.

If there is a critical situation such as a break-in, a neighbor yelling for help, someone in medical distress, and/or shots are fired, call 911 immediately. 

Get involved! Call your Police Department or County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line to report suspicious activities. And please, don't hesitate to call 911 to report emergencies. 

Tom Correa

We Need To Refuse To Play The Democrats' Silly Games

I've been recently accused of "misgendering" a gay man because I called him "he" and not "she." Just so we get this right, there is this crazy notion going around these days that says everyone should play the Democrats' silly game of accepting gay men as women. Well, some of us refuse to play along with the insanity of schizophrenics who want to play "pretend."

Let me make something else really clear, the truth is the truth no matter what political group tries to change it. While it's obvious that today, if I tell the truth and call a spade a spade, and I don't lie about what he is, then I'm "misgendering." But, that's only if we all play along with the crazies who think we will. And really, I don't live in a world where lying is required and the truth is avoided. That's just a fact.

So while there are people in parts of the United States that want to live in what I call the "go along with schizophrenics world," that's not where I live my life.  And by the way, if people think that we can live and prosper in a world that demands that Liberal Politics over-rule the truth -- then they need to come to grips with the fact that politics does not over-rule the truth. Politics spins the truth. It even neglects to recognize the truth. But it never over-rules the truth. 

You see, the problem for the Democrats is very simple. More than half of all Americans refuse to play their silly games. I see Drag Queens for what they are. Men in drag. Men dressed as women. Gay men dressed as women trying to entice other gay men. And really, no matter what sort of propagandistic language, euphemisms, or how many ways they try to inverse the meanings of words, more than half of America agrees with me. 

As for the other half? Well, those are the Democrats that are on their knees. That's the half that are on their knees bowing down to the Democrat Party's political intimidation. 

Democrats demanding that everyone call gay men in women's clothing "Trans" is just not going to happen. The fact of the matter is that I can confidently say that more than half the nation will refuse to play the Democrats' silly game of "let's placate the schizophrenics in the gay community" -- gay men and gay women. And really, Democrats and their use of the Federal Government don't have the power to intimidate or force people like me into calling men "women" and women "men." 

What really surprises me is how public school teachers and university professors are going along with the Democrat Party's efforts to make women seem so menial. Why do Democrats see women as being so inferior? What makes a Democrat think that a gay man pretending to be a woman makes him a woman? Do real women lack worth or importance to Democrats? Why do all Democrats see women as subservient and unimportant? Is there something about gay men in drag that's appealing to Democrats?

As sad as it is, public school teachers want the children in the classes to "pretend" that it's biologically possible for a human being to "transition" from one sexual gender to another. This sort of indoctrination in our schools has made teachers a danger to our children. This is especially true since teachers are now bypassing the wishes of parents in the efforts to convince children that they should have gender mutilation surgeries and take sex-altering drugs. Things that should never be used on children. And think about this, why is it so important to Democrats, including some Democrat state governors, to provide sex change treatments for minors? 

These are some of the reasons that I refuse to go along with the Left's insanity. And really, no amount of "shaming" and name-calling is going to change my mind. They know full well that Science says it's not possible to transition from one gender to another. And yet, it is important to them to push sex changes and the LGBT agenda on children. 

Democrats can scream all they want about how some gay man should now be considered a woman because that gay man had his penis removed -- but that doesn't make it so. And no, not even the largest amounts of money that the Gay Community can funnel to the Democrats in the form of political contributions is going to change the simple fact of life that there are only two genders. 

Let's face the real facts of life. Cut the balls off a bull and you have a steer which is a neutered male bovine. Cut the balls off a stallion and you have a gelding which is a neutered male horse. Neither a steer nor a gelding will produce a calf or foal, or the milk that it takes to feed them. While Democrats might see females in the world as lacking importance, they should realize that women do what men can't. One would think that even Democrats can understand that! 

Of course, Democrats are supporting gay men who claim to "identify" as "women." But really, isn't that the dumbest thing that you've ever heard. Just because someone "identifies" as Black or Asian or a baby or 2,000 pounds doesn't make it so. People have to understand that things are what they are and people can't claim to be something they are not. 

If a person "identifies" as a Veteran, we ask for proof that they served in the military. If a person "identifies" as a Veteran and was never in the military, but still decides that he is going to wear a uniform with medals that he did not earn, we call that "Stolen Valor." People who were never in the military but claim to be Veterans are imposters, fakes, hoaxers, and frauds. 

So really, why would anyone accept a man as a women's champion swimmer if we know they are not a woman? In my opinion, claiming to "identify" as a woman for personal gains such as obtaining a national title is a criminal act. It is fraud. It is a wrongful act. It is criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. 

And while Democrats don't seem to care that such fraud cheats those deserving woman who works so hard to compete against others on a level playing field, Democrats should not support criminal fraud and hoaxsters who claim to be something they are not. 

This brings me to the saddest thing that I've seen in recent years. That of a United States government official, a lady who is now a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, who can't answer the simple question "What is a woman?" Frankly, such an endless amount of stupid is beyond my understanding. 

And what's worse, the woman who could not define "what a woman is" now sits on the U.S. Supreme Court. She is the prime example of the modern Democrat Party and the reason we get authoritarian autocratic politicians like Joe Biden and Gavin Newsom who see themselves as rulers with total power and control over the people. 

It's the Biden and the Newsom supporters, those who see Democrats as doing no wrong, that have allowed the Democratic Party to wage a war against women recently. You don't think so? Well, it's Democrats today that support gay men stealing the thunder and the dignity that belongs to women. 

Gay men posing as "women" don't know the first thing about the challenges, the hard work, how it has been to fight the "Glass Ceiling," what the average woman has been through, or anything about being a woman. And frankly, I don't care if a gay man cuts off his penis, he will never know what it is to be born and evolve into a mature woman -- they never will.

I don't care if Democrats are too dumb to know what a woman is. I don't care if Democrats are so dumb that they accept the insanity that says, "A woman can be a man who defines himself as a woman." As crazy as it might sound to them, maybe some should educate themselves to understand that women are adult female human beings, they give and support life, and they should be respected and not cheapened by gay men in drag wanting to call themselves women. 

Why can't Democrats accept the fact that no matter how many surgeries a gay man goes through, and no matter how many hormones a gay man takes to try to be a female, gay men are not women? Why can't they accept the facts of life as it has been and stop catering to a Liberal voter base that's either mentally ill or too dumb to understand the facts of life?  

Of course, Democrats see nothing wrong with declaring a gay man in women's clothing "Woman of the Year." Jill Biden did just that. And yes, Democrats see nothing wrong with gay men who were failures competing against other men deciding to "redefine" themselves as women so that they can compete in Women's Sports. Democrats don't care about the unfairness of that. But then again, that shouldn't surprise anyone. After all, while Americans believe in fairness, the American notion of fairness is foreign to Democrats. 

Democrats totally dismiss the efforts and sacrifices made by women athletes -- all in the name of allowing gay men in Women's Sports. Why? Because Democrats don't care if a female athlete has worked all her life just to lose to a gay man who is biologically bigger and stronger. The examples of this taking place these days are numerous; swimming, golf, wrestling, boxing, MMA fighting, weight lifting, etc. All sports have recently seen "women's records" broken by gay men being allowed to "compete" against real women. As for the woman MMA fighter who fought against a gay man who "identified" as a woman, the real woman was almost killed. 

While there is no fairness in that, Democrats don't care about fairness as long as their political agenda of gay inclusion is implemented at all costs. That's what is most important to them -- no matter how detrimental their political agenda is to our society.

Of course, that's the reason that their agenda has to be stopped. And frankly, we can stop their agenda if we demonstrate that we are not afraid of them -- and because of that, we will refuse to play the Democrats' silly games of gay pronouns, political correctness, and their idea that we have to accept their sense of what the world should be like. 

I refuse to ignore the strides made by women. I don't like that Democrats are demeaning women everywhere by saying that all it takes to be a woman is to be a gay man in drag. And frankly, I refuse to play along with Democrats and accept their sick idea that a woman can be a gay man who simply wants to call himself "a woman." And yes, I've actually wondered if Democrats are intelligent enough to understand how they are humiliating women?

As for news outlets that refer to a gay man in women's clothing as a "trans woman"? They lose credibility right off for going along with the Left's politically correct speech and I refuse to watch them. 

As for television shows that try to portray gay men as real women? I don't like the way that demeans women, so I refuse to what those shows. 

As for some idiot in the Democrat Party who insists on calling some gay man a "trans" as if that was something real, and refers to him as "her," I refuse to condone that sort of stupidity. And yes, the same goes for "Woke" companies like Anheuser-Busch and others who are using gay men in drag to promote their products.

There is something inherently sick about having a gay man be the face of women's hygiene products, birth control, or women's clothing. As for the notion of using a gay man to advertise your beer? That's not smart since a lot of men see things the same as I do. And truthfully, I find the very sight of Drag Queens and gay men pretending to be women as absolutely repulsive.  

So yes, my reasons for refusing to go along with the Democrats and play their silly political games are very simple. Every time their news outlets, Democrat politicians, and "Woke" companies talk about, support, or use gay men in drag in the advertising, whether they know it or not, they are belittling and disparaging women. And clearly, it's just not right.

Now, before you write to say that I'm "homophobic," don't bother. The fact is that I don't have a "dislike of or prejudice against gay people." I don't care if someone is gay. That's just their preference and it means nothing to me. The preference of who someone wants to be with is not mine to dictate. As I said before, to be real honest, I don't care if people are gay. They are unimportant to me.

What is important is how Democrats are trying to force Americans to accept the unacceptable. And really, I don't like people telling me that I have to "accept" people or things that I see as having no redeeming qualities. And being even more honest, I vehemently dislike anyone demanding that I refer to gay men in drag as something that they are not -- and they are not women.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/240155758524704

Tom Correa

 

Almost 200,000 Antelope And Deer Dead From Winter Kill. Can We Foresee Such A Headline?

Story by Bill Sniffin

Published in Cowboy State Daily

April 15, 2023

 

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “What a sad time for those of us who love our wildlife. And that includes about 99 percent of the people who live in Wyoming.”
 

Wyoming’s wildlife is a great source of wealth for our state. We love our wild animals.

And boy, have they suffered this winter.

I have been fearing that Cowboy State Daily may soon publish a headline: “Almost 200,000 deer and antelope killed.” Our outdoors reporter Mark Heinz is not ready to write such a number. It is not an official estimate, but a number I’ve speculated.

Wildlife Worth The Watching

Back in my days as a member of the Wyoming Travel Commission board, we partnered with the Game and Fish Commission in an ad campaign called “Wildlife Worth The Watching.” Some research back in the 1990s showed that one of the main reasons tourists come to Wyoming is to see the wildlife.

When we first moved here over a half century ago, it was stunning to see the huge herds of antelope galloping across the vast fields of sagebrush.

No other state comes close in the lower 48 with the abundance of wildlife that can be seen here in the Cowboy State. We truly have what can be called America’s Serengeti. Much like Africa, we have vast herds of wildlife that travelers can see as they drive our 97,000 square miles of space.

Recent estimates pegged the number of pronghorn antelope in Wyoming to be about 450,000 and deer at about 380,000 (70,000 whitetail and 310,000 mule deer), prior to this die-off. Usually over 40,000 antelope are harvested by hunting. Just under 40,000 deer are killed during hunting seasons in the Cowboy State.

Now the survival of all those animal herds is in peril. I hope my predictions are not accurate. But it sure looks like this winter has just decimated the antelope herds and the herds of mule deer and whitetail deer.

Perhaps my estimate of winterkill is too high. What if the total is only 100,000? ONLY?

Stories emerging from Carbon, Sublette, Natrona, Sweetwater, Lincoln, and Fremont Counties tell horrible tales of piles of antelope carcasses. Seems the early snows that hung around all winter hardened so much that the lightweight animal just did not have the ability to break through to find something to eat. Because their digestive systems are so unique, there was no way to feed the endangered critters. Observers just had to stand by and watch them die.

The bitter cold and persistent winds hastened the demise of our prized animals.

Wyoming’s Pronghorn Antelope is the state’s most beautiful animal. It is so unique. And so fast. Its coloration perfectly matches Wyoming’s scenery. Who doesn’t treasure our herds of these amazing animals.

Gotta Love Those Muleys

However my favorite Wyoming animal is one that is pretty much unique to Wyoming – the mule deer. I can understand why there is a group called Muley Fanatics.

This homely bugger with the huge ears and the small brain, well, is just too darned entertaining not to love. We have had small herds of muleys in the yards of all our homes in Lander all these years. Yeah, they are dumb. Yeah, they are not so colorful, pretty much dull gray like a giant rat -- no big fluffy tail like whitetails or spectacular brown coat like antelope -- but, heck, they are ours.

Not only our antelope, but our mule deer have been decimated this winter.

The Game and Fish Commission is already cancelling many hunting seasons and curtailing a bunch of others. It’s good to see that a whole bunch of Wyoming hunters are voluntarily not seeking hunting licenses this year for many types of game. It is going to take several nice winters to get these herds built back up.

If we end up with more winters like 2022-2023 every so often, it may be nearly impossible to get them built back up to where they have been.

If some hunts are being held, it will be only for deer and antelope bucks. CSD Reporter Heinz reported on this: “Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik during previous “town hall” meetings about the winterkill said that it’s vital to conserve female mule deer and antelope to replenish herds. Because a single buck can breed with multiple does during mating season, losing bucks – either to winterkill or hunters, has far less of a long-term effect on herds.

Seasons Curtailed Or Cancelled

“Doe and fawn tags for mule deer were rare to begin with, and they would largely be canceled altogether.

“In areas where hunters are allowed to shoot mule deer bucks three-point restrictions would be widely applied. That means hunters could legally kill only bucks that have at least three points on at least one side of their antlers.

“Youth deer hunts have in the past allowed hunters ages 12-17 to shoot mule deer does. Game and Fish is proposing to let them shoot only mule deer bucks, while still being allowed to shoot either buck or doe whitetail deer.”

This seems like a reasonable compromise although I would prefer to see mule deer seasons cancelled in most of west, central Wyoming. They need time to recover.

What a sad time for those of us who love our wildlife. And that includes about 99 percent of the people who live in Wyoming.

Thankfully, warm temperatures have returned and most of the snow has melted. There will be incredible amounts of vegetation this spring and summer. For those animals which somehow survived, there will be plenty of food to restore their good health.

And a healthy wildlife population is very good news for the Cowboy State.

-- end of Cowboy State Daily article.

Bill Sniffin, Wyoming Life Columnist, author, and journalist, writes about Wyoming life on Cowboy State Daily -- the state's most-read news publication. 

Bill Sniffin can be reached at Bill@CowboyStateDaily.com

More Than 18,000 Cows Dead After Dairy Fire Explosion In Texas Panhandle

A worker was critically injured and more than 18,000 cattle were killed in a massive explosion Monday at South Fork Dairy Farm in Dimmit, south of Amarillo. 

Credit: Courtesy of Castro County Sheriff's Office

Story by Jayme Lozano-Carver and Erin Douglas

The Texas Tribune

April 13, 2023

LUBBOCK, TEXAS — More than 18,000 cows died and one farm worker is in critical condition following a dairy farm fire in the Texas Panhandle.

The fire started Monday night at South Fork Dairy Farm in Dimmitt, about 66 miles south of Amarillo. The Castro County sheriff’s office, along with fire departments from Dimmitt, Hart, and Nazareth, were the first responders to the explosion in the small town of nearly 4,200, according to the sheriff’s office.

One person was trapped inside the dairy farm but was rescued by first responders, according to the sheriff’s office. They were later flown to a Lubbock hospital.

In 2019, Texas authorized the facility to more than double the number of cattle allowed on-site from 11,500 to up to 32,000, according to a permit with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The state also authorized the facility to increase its manure production by more than 50% in that expanded permit. Wastewater from the facility drains into the Brazos River Basin.

In a statement, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokesperson Victoria Cann said that the agency will ensure that dead livestock and debris are disposed of properly. She said the agency is not aware of any environmental impacts from the explosion.

Castro County is the second-highest milk-producing county in the state and has more than 59,361 cows. According to a United States Department of Agriculture report, the county produced more than 147 million pounds of milk in February.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called the incident devastating but said he was grateful there were no further injuries to workers or loss of human life. He also called for the findings of the investigation to be made public once it is finished.

“This was the deadliest barn fire for cattle in Texas history and the investigation and cleanup may take some time,” Miller said. “There are lessons to be learned and the impact of this fire may influence the immediate area and the industry itself. Once we know the cause and the facts surrounding this tragedy, we will make sure the public is fully informed — so tragedies like this can be avoided in the future.”

The 18,000 cows killed represent just a fraction of the 625,000 dairy cows in Texas. Including beef cows, there are 13 million in the state, according to the Texas Almanac. Large amounts of cattle have died in Texas before. During Winter Storm Goliath in 2015, 35,000 cattle froze to death.

The state fire marshal’s office is conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Disclosure: The Texas Association of Dairymen has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. 

-- end of The Texas Tribune article.

The Associate Press (AP) reported the fire that erupted on a family farm in West Texas on Monday at the South Fork Dairy near Dimmitt, Texas, killed about 18,000 cows that were worth millions of dollars.

USA Today reported, "Castro County Judge Mandy Gfeller, the top executive in the county, estimated South Fork Dairy's losses to be in the tens of millions of dollars. Each cow was worth about $2,000, and the 18,000 who were killed made up 90% of the farm's total herd."

One worker is reported critically injured after being rescued from being trapped inside the farm facility. According to the Castro County Sheriff's Office, no other employees were injured. The Sheriff's Office also said the explosion and fire were likely caused by overheated equipment and would be investigated by state fire marshals, according to the Associated Press.

According to KFDA, a CBS affiliate in Amarillo, Texas, "The fire is believed to have started in a different part of the dairy before spreading to a holding pen where the cows waited to be milked."

 

Castro County Sheriff's Office said, "There's some that survived, there's some that are probably injured to the point where they'll have to be destroyed."  The surviving cows were moved to a different facility on the South Fork farm.

CBS affiliate WCAX reported, "Cattle deaths from the South Fork fire far surpass the cow fatalities two years ago when an upstate New York farm fire claimed the lives of 400. That fire tore through two buildings at the Bubbins Farm in Beekmantown, New York, causing over $3 million in damage,  It took 19 fire departments — including one from Vermont and three from Canada — to contain the blaze."

Texas is America's fourth-largest milk producer, behind Idaho, Wisconsin, and California, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Texas produces more than 7 million tons of milk per year. Dimmitt, Texas, located in the Texas Panhandle, has a population of 4,171 according to the 2020 census. It sits about 50 miles Southwest of Amarillo and 50 miles East of the New Mexico border.

We should all pray for the man who is in the hospital, as well as pray that South Fork Dairy will recover from such a traumatic event.  

Tom Correa

The Mystery Of Killer James Dunham 1896

James C. Dunham was a mass murderer who killed his family and two of the hired help back on May 26, 1896. His crime is characterized as "Parricide." I have to admit that I had to look that up since I'd never heard of it before. 

One source defines "Parricide" as "the deliberate killing of one's own father and mother, spouse, children, and/or close relative. However, the term is sometimes used more generally to refer to the intentional killing of a near relative. It is an umbrella term that can be used to refer to acts of matricide and patricide."

As for James C. Dunham, his six victims were his wife, Hattie, 25, her mother, Ada McGlincy, 53, her stepfather, Richard P. McGlincy, 56, her brother, James K. Wells, 22, and two of the hired help, Robert Briscoe, 50, and Minnie Shesler, 28. And no, I cannot imagine what that crime scene must have looked like. While Dunham strangled his wife, he shot her mother, her stepfather, her brother, and two of the hired help with a .38 caliber revolver and a .45 caliber pistol before resorting to using an axe.

Newspapers in 1896 called it "The McGlincy Killing" because one of the victims was Colonel Richard P. McGlincy. He was the killer's stepfather-in-law and one of the town's most respected citizens. For the town of Campbell, in Santa Clara County, California, it was a horror that no one could imagine. 

When the Santa Clara County Sheriff was called to the scene a few miles outside of San Jose on the morning of May 27, 1896, they found Col. McGlincy, three of his family members, a domestic worker, and a ranch hand brutally murdered. While the killer's motive has remained a mystery for well over a hundred years, the identification of the killer was known immediately. 

In fact, a Coroner's jury which investigated the murders took only two days to declare the deaths were committed by ''one James C. Dunham, with malice aforethought.''  

As for the killer's whereabouts, there were multiple reports of James Dunham, Col McGlincy's stepson-in-law, seen on horseback escaping into the hills. Of course, besides the mystery of his motive, something that will forever surround what took place, it's said there's also the mystery of why he spared his infant son's life that day. The boy was only 3 weeks old and was found near his wife's body. 

As for the boy, it is said that he was adopted by relatives in San Francisco and given a new name. It is also said that he later inherited his grandmother's estate. As for his father, it was better for the boy that his father never tried to contact his son.

And as for the killer, I'd like to say he was hunted down and tried and hanged. But I can't because this is one of those stories that have the bad guy, the person doing evil, actually never being made to pay for what he did. It's true. We will never know what sort of evil possessed James Dunham to kill his family because though seen on a horse heading into the hills, there is still the mystery of what happened to Dunham. The fact is that he vanished. He was never apprehended, tried, or made to answer for what he did. 

So now, what would bring a person to kill his or her entire family and a couple of hired help? Well, gossip swirled around the small farming community. And yes, there were all sorts of speculation over what triggered him to do such a thing. But really, no one will ever know Dunham's motives. 

And no, not even what was called the most extensive manhunt in the history of Santa Clara County, California, ever paid off. And even though he was well-known in the community, he escaped and was never found. Actually, as large as the posse was that went after him, the only thing they found was the horse that he used -- but no Dunham.

There are some who say he committed suicide. Others say he starved to death. I read an article that tried to say he became a "madman" that stalked those who traveled alone at night in that area. But, even later after people were trying to say that they found his bones -- bones that turned out to be that of a dead cow -- no one knows what ever happened to him. So who knows, maybe one day someone will find his remains. After all, stranger things have happened.

Tom Correa

Dying By The Thousands: Miles Of Death As Wyoming Antelope, Deer And Elk Die From Winter Starvation

CowboyStateDaily.com

Story by Mark Heinz

Cowboy State Daily Outdoors Reporter
Mark@CowboyStateDaily.com
Published on March 29, 2023

The wildlife winter kill in southcentral Wyoming is the worst anybody there can remember, some locals are saying.

“It goes on for miles: dead animal after dead animal after dead animal,” state Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday. “The antelope are dying by the thousands. Starvation is an ugly thing.”

Outfitter and pilot Bo Stacks said that at higher elevations, he’s seen even hardy bull elk struggling to survive.

“Usually the elk are pretty tough and don’t have much die-off,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “There’s still 4 feet of snow on the high ridges. When I fly over, they don’t even look up because they’re so weak. They don’t even do anything.”

Wildlife officials recently predicted that as many as half of the pronghorn (antelope) in parts of Wyoming could die this winter, along with similar numbers of deer.

Hicks and Stacks said it’s going to be much worse than that.

“Our mule deer are probably going to have 50% mortality,” Hicks said. “We’re probably going to be pushing 70-80% of our antelope population that will die this winter.”

That means that 10,000 antelope or more could starve or freeze to death in just the area around Baggs, Dixon and Wamsutter, Hicks said.

 

During a typical winter, much of the ground around High Savery Reservoir in southcentral Wyoming is bare, providing food and shelter for big game herds. But now “nearly 100% snow coverage” is killing elk, deer and antelope, pilot and hunting guide Bo Stocks said. (Photo Courtesy Bo Stocks)

Hunting Could Be Shut Down

It’s bad enough that Stacks – who outfits and guides elk, deer, antelope, black bear and mountain lion hunts – plans to significantly scale back his business this fall.

“I’ve completely shut down all of my antelope and all of my deer hunts this year,” he said, and is considering shutting down some future seasons as well.

Hicks said the region has offered some of Wyoming’s best deer hunting, and some of the best antelope hunting in the nation.

“It will probably take six to 10 years, at least, for these herds to recover,” he said, adding that there will probably be a push to shut down hunting seasons entirely in some areas of Wyoming this fall.

Even Worse Than 1949

Stacks said he’s regularly flown small airplanes over the area since 2002, and the conditions for large game animals are “by far the worst I’ve ever seen it.”

Usually, the snow is sparce enough and the winds strong enough to leave significant bare patches for animals to find food and shelter, he said. That’s not happening this winter.

“We’ve got 100% snow coverage” for as far as the eye can see in nearly every direction, he said.

In what few dry patches that remain, “there are bull elk scattered up there by themselves, and they’re starting to die,” he said.

“I have a cabin up by High Savery Reservoir, and usually by the first of April I’m able to drive in there,” he added. “I might have to put tire chains on and blow through some drifts, but I’ve always been able to get in there. Not this year. The snow is still up over the tops of the fences.”

The bleak feeding conditions are as bad as any of the locals can remember, Hicks said. Even old timers who lived through the legendary winter of 1949 have told him what they’re seeing now is worse.

“We got heavy snow early on, then some rain on top of it,” Hicks said. “Then we got those sub-zero temperatures that froze everything up solid, and even more snow.

“The animals just can’t move or paw their way down through the snow to get food anymore.”

  Antelope in southcentral Wyoming are dying in large groups from lack of food this winter. (Photo Courtesy Larry Hicks)

Trapped

With all of that snow, much of it set as hard as cement, game herds are simply out of places to go to find food, Hicks said.

“They’re trapped. They can’t migrate anymore. And even if they could, I’m not sure where they could go,” he said. “They’re stuck in the same small dry patches where they’ve been for three weeks. They’ve eaten all the juniper trees. Even the sagebrush is gone in some places. They’re down to eating wood and dirt.”

Hicks said he’s watched the tragedy play out in real time along what county roads are still passable.

“Every night you go out and you can see how badly the antelope are doing and you think, ‘Well, by morning, these three will be dead, and those five over there will be dead too,’” he said. “They’re just laying down in groups and dying.”

Many of the dying animals are pregnant does, “which means we’re also losing an entire fawn crop,” Hicks added.

Things will likely get worse before they get better, Hicks and Stocks said.

“Usually March and April are the worst times for snow and die-off,” Stocks said, and mass winter kill started in January this year.

“Winter is showing no signs of giving up,” Hicks said. “It’s supposed to snow over the next couple of days. Our snow is still piling up.”

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Typical Speeds for Horses

Translated into practical terms and other units, these figures may be extrapolated into the following estimates. Note that these are for relatively fit, normal horses either carrying a rider (under 175 pounds) or pulling a light vehicle over flat, dry roads. 

These speeds might exhaust an unconditioned animal (don't try this at home, kids!), particularly on bad roads, in hot weather, with heavy loads, or over hilly terrain; but might readily be exceeded by an elite-caliber world-class equine athlete. 

Even in healthy, fit individuals the higher speeds could not be maintained for more than a few days in succession without substantial weight loss and careful attention to the condition of the hooves as well as the water and caloric intake of the animal.

Typical Speeds For Long-Distance Horse Movement
Gait	Typical sustained speeds for very physically fit individuals (meters per minute)	Typical sustained speeds for very physically fit individuals (km per hour)	Typical sustained speeds for very physically fit individuals (miles per hour)	Ten hour's travel distance for very physically fit individuals, with 10 minutes rest per hour
Walk	80 - 120 m/min	5 - 7 km/hr	2 - 3.5 miles/hr	15 - 25 miles
Trot	210 - 300 m/min	13 - 18 km/hr	5 - 8 miles/hr	40 - 65 miles
Canter	300 - 420 m/min	18 - 25 km/hr	7 - 11 miles/hr	Using fresh horses every hour, 55 - 90 miles
Gallop	420 - 730 m/min	25 - 44 km/hr	11 - 19 miles/hr	Using fresh horses every hour, 90 - 150 miles

 

The Stupidity Of Thinking Climate Change Is A Bigger Threat To Humanity Than Nuclear War

I'm amazed at how the Biden Administration has the Federal Government including our Defense Department and now our Armed Forces, all peddling the insane notion that "Climate Change is a bigger threat to humanity than Nuclear War." I mean really, how seriously stupid can someone be to really believe that?

While it doesn't surprise me that President Joe Biden says "Climate change is a bigger threat to humanity than nuclear war," or that he says if Climate Change isn't addressed in the United States today "We’re going to have a real problem." No, none of that sort of rhetoric surprises me when coming from Democrats today -- especially coming from the likes of Joe Biden. 

In all honesty, I've never thought Joe Biden was very bright. In fact, he's never presented himself as a very intelligent man. Maybe that's the reason that it didn't surprise me when, during a speech at a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraising event in October 2022, Biden brought up nuclear weapons and flippantly said that there's a possibility of our experiencing "Armageddon."

While he always comes off as a vindictive individual who likes to throw out smart-ass wisecracks and likes being photographed in his Corvette wearing his aviator dark glasses, as President of the United States Joe Biden actually scared the Hell out of people by saying, "Putin was not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons. We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. I don’t think there is any such a thing as the ability to easily use a tactical weapon and not end up with Armageddon."

Biden was commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat of using nuclear weapons in Russia's war with Ukraine. In September of 2022, while addressing Russia's concerns regarding NATO giving arms and equipment to Ukraine, Putin said, "I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and for separate components and more modern than those of NATO countries, and when the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal."

In response to what Putin said, Biden tells the world that Nuclear War is a possibility.  

Then in January 2023, during a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York City, Biden makes the insane claim that "Climate Change is a bigger threat to humanity than Nuclear War."

He actually said, "If we don’t stay under 1.5 degrees Celsius, we're going to have a real problem. It's the single-most existential threat to humanity we’ve ever faced, including nuclear weapons. And so we have a real big problem."

Let's all understand that while there are environmentalists and some scientists who say that Global Warming, also known as Climate Change, may be linked to more severe weather events such as hurricanes and droughts, the effects of Global Warming, or Climate Change if that's what you prefer to call it, are not projected to cause the Earth to become totally uninhabitable. Making the Earth uninhabitable is something that Nuclear War would do.

Since the infrastructures of nations will be destroyed, and our planetary biosphere will certainly be adversely affected by the spread of worldwide radiation and firestorms, Nuclear War means that life as we know is gone and life would become primitive for the survivors. 

Democrats who steadfastly accept the stupidity coming from Biden and other brain-dead fanatic environmentalists, those who truly believe that Climate Change is a bigger threat than a Nuclear War, should understand that even a small-scale Nuclear War would produce global ramifications that make the worse predictions of Climate Change look like a picnic. 

While the ramifications of a small-scale Nuclear War would already be seen as horrendous, imagine what a large-scale Nuclear War would bring. Besides a total and complete collapse of civilization, infrastructure gone, zero law and order, widespread death from radiation poisoning and starvation, medical services gone, communications gone, transportation and supply lines gone, travel gone, food gone, no electricity, gas, or any sort of power, a large-scale Nuclear War would destroy the Earth's biosphere which means that plants, crops, and all of the livestock that we harvest for food will have either been destroyed, killed or will starve to death. Of course, along with the livestock that we harvest, such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats, all other animals on our planet will have been killed or suffer and die from the same widespread starvation. 

Does that really sound like something that is not a bigger threat to the world than increased bad weather from Climate Change which the world may or may not experience for a thousand years? And really, let's think about this a moment, while it's extremely unclear where Joe Biden gets his information from to form such insane reasoning as he does, does anyone with a single brain cell really believe that we can compare the unproven effects of Climate Change to the known horrors that would be Nuclear War?

And here's another thing, we know what Nuclear Weapons can do because we have used them and have tested them and thoroughly understand their capability. On the other hand, Climate Change has never materialized nor been proven to be real even after waiting for some sort of solid proof of its existence over the last 30 years. Predictions of what Climate Change can do has all come from computer models which are now being challenged because the data was faulty and none of the predictions have taken place. 

Climate Change supporters predicted an apocalypse that has not happened. Sea levels have not risen, polar bears are not extinct, and the world has not come to an end as was predicted. To add to the frustration of Climate Change supporters, their "theory" that Global Warming is warming the poles has been rendered mute because the average temperatures in the Arctic have actually dropped over the past 50 years. That is an inconvenient truth that Climate Change supporters don't want to talk about or even acknowledge. What also isn't talked about is how scientists do not agree that there is catastrophic Global Warming taking place because of the burning of fossil fuels. Scientists are disputing this because that claim is "based on unsupported assumptions," skewed computer models, inaccurate data, and data that has been purposely withheld for political reasons because it's data that disputes the theory of Global Warming and its causation. 

This and other factors have many Climate Change scientists in disagreement about whether Global Warming is even taking place. And frankly, because Climate Change is looking more and more like a hoax, many people, including myself, now see Global Warming /Climate Change as a scam that's being perpetuated as a means for the government to exert more control over our lives.

While "Climate Change" is supposed to refer to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, we have to make sure that people understand that some of these shifts in temperatures and weather patterns are natural. While "Climate Change" is the most "popular" issue talked about today, it does not pose a risk to our existence -- especially when compared to the effects of Nuclear War.

Frankly, I don't know anyone dumb enough to accept what Biden is selling. Surely, no sane person would think that Climate Change is a bigger threat than the real possibility of a Nuclear War with Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran when it gets the bomb. 

And while I know that Biden is an 80-year-old man with cognitive problems, he should understand that right now, even without Iran getting a single nuke, there are enough nuclear weapons stockpiled to wipe out most of the world’s population. Experts say even a small-scale Nuclear War would blanket the globe in dangerous radiation and may be enough to trigger a "Nuclear Winter." Such a Nuclear Winter would decrease sunlight and lower temperatures to such a point that it would finish off most survivors.

I can't help but be amazed that we have people today who are dumb enough to think that Global Warming, or the more in-vogue name "Climate Change," is a bigger threat to our National Security than a Nuclear War. As shocking as it may be, there are obviously some who have no idea how a Nuclear War would end humanity completely. Not through extended droughts or the possibility of more hurricanes, but by way of a nuclear apocalypse.

It is believed that the use of Nuclear Weapons by any one nation may in fact trigger a nuclear apocalypse that will end humanity as we know it. The mass detonation of nuclear weapons would cause widespread destruction and radioactive fallout globally. As I said before, the result is what is called a "Nuclear Winter." And yes, if people are dumb enough to think cow farts and gas stoves can adversely affect the environment, they don't have any idea how the entire world would be affected by widespread radiation as the result of a Nuclear War. 

Environmentalists can forget about oceans rising or extended droughts since a Nuclear War would render most of the Earth completely uninhabitable. And besides nuclear weapons destroying entire cities, the potential aftermath involves the complete loss of modern technology due to electromagnetic pulses, firestorms, and widespread radiation sickness that will most likely kill off survivors. The worst-case scenario is the extinction of humanity and the end of all biological life on Earth. 

For those Climate Change crazies who think "depopulation" is the best "cure" so that their supposed "Global Warming" hoax can work out, they may be happy to know that a Nuclear War would contribute to a total collapse of civilization.  So yes, if widespread radiation sickness doesn't do what most fear will happen, a complete breakdown of society and the economic collapse that follows are sure to lead to widespread starvation. All leading to possible human extinction.

If a Nuclear War, something that would make the Earth an uninhabitable wasteland, sounds like it is less of a concern compared to Climate Change then there's no stopping the stupidity of people from accepting the lie that "Climate change is a bigger threat to humanity than nuclear war." 

And to be very honest, those are the very people that Biden hopes are dumb enough to believe him. They follow him without ever questioning his skewed logic -- or being suspicious of what motivates him politically or monetarily. They are the exact same people who still believe that accepting Biden's lies is better than accepting the truth. Yes, they are Kool-Aid drinkers who blindly follow him. 

Tom Correa

Horse Winter Care -- The Winter Blues

For most of us who find ourselves snowed-in or having our travel restricted, we can get what some call "Cabin Fever" from staying inside too long. What some folks call "Cabin Fever" is defined as "irritability, listlessness, and similar symptoms resulting from long confinement or isolation indoors during the winter." 

Well, believe it or not, being cooped up in a pen in a stable or a stall in a barn all day can have similar effects on horses. Some find the boredom and isolation the perfect time to fall into bad habits like wood chewing, stall circling, stall weaving, and other such things to show their frustration with being confined. 

Turning them out and getting them as much pasture time as possible will help reduce the chance of your horses starting such behavior. And while some say stall toys like plastic apples help out to break up their boredom, I found that my horse just ignored them when I tried hanging them in their stalls. 

As most of us know, horses like interaction with people and other animals. To me, the best thing that I can do to help my horses is to set them up with companion horses "that they get along with." 

That's the key phrase, "that they get along with." The last thing I want to do is for them to be next to a biter or a kicker. Especially one that I know they just don't get along with. I had that happen once back years ago when the folks who ran the place where I was boarding my horse actually put a biter in the next stall.

That mean son of a buck tried to bite the hide right off of my horse from over the rails. It would have if I hadn't had my horse blanketed. Instead of biting into my horse, it ripped a chunk out of my horse's blanket. 

  

So, with us knowing that that can happen, it's essential to address their need to be social by providing them with company "that they get along with." And by the way, that may mean using something other than another horse as a companion. As crazy as it might sound, I had a horse that couldn't get along with any of my other horses -- but it did like a huge goat that decided to make my place its home for a while. 

It was so big that it made my neighbor asked me if I was going to "strap a saddle" to it. And yes, I have to admit that it was a chunky goat. That goat served the purpose that winter. Sadly, I found out later that it was a runaway from a neighbor's herd. And though that goat wasn't around here for more than a single winter, that goat was around long enough to help that ornery horse settle down and not act so irritable about being inside instead of out.  

So, if you can't turn your horses out because of the weather, and you're looking for an alternative to getting them more pasture time, I've found that companionship works when it comes to helping your horses knock off some of the ill effects of being confined. So yes, just like us, good companionship with folks that we get along with works wonders when fighting the winter blues that come with being cooped inside so much. 

Tom Correa